Half to ellsworth e



2 SheetsSheet 1.

F. W. AYERS. STATION INDICATOR.

(No Model.)

No. 557,635. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. W. AYERS.

STATION INDICATOR.

No. 557,635. Patented Apr. '7, 1896.

flan/35 74.539678.

ANDREW B GRAMAMJMDTWUTHO wAsnlNa'rmLn c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK V. AYERS, OF JOHNSONBUR-G, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ELLSYVORTH E. *OOD, OF SAME PLACE.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,635, dated April '7, 1896.

Application filed March 11,1895. Serial No. 541,336. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ing the movement of the name-bearing belt. Be it known that I, FRANK \V. AYERS, a Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one end portion citizen of the United States, residing at J ohnof the device, showingclearly the actuating sonburg, in the county of Elk and State of mechanism for controlling the various move- 55 Pennsylvania, have invented a new and use ments of the parts. Fig. 3 is a plan view in ful Station-Indicator, of which the following detail of the shifting and tension mechanism is a specification. for a roller upon which the name-bearing belt The object of the present invention is the is wound. Fig. 4is a detail perspective view provision, in a single organized structure, of of the counterbalanced shaftwhich is tripped 60 means for automatically and with precision for releasing the actuating mechanism, showdisplaying the names of stations along aline ing the relative disposition of the several of railway, thereby informing passengers of arms for controlling the movements of the the name of the station at which the car or mechanisms whereby the name-bearing belt train has arrived, and at the same time exand the clock-movement are governed. Fig. 65 posing the name of the next station, so as to 5 is a detail view of a portion of the cover for give timely warning to those passengers who inclosing the compartment in which the actumay desire to leave the car or train at the ating mechanism is located, showing the next station. means for locking the reversing-rod in the An essential feature of the invention is the located position. Fig. 6 is a detail view in 70 2o reversing mechanism, whereby the rollers section of the cylinder and the pipe for supupon which the belt or canvas carrying the plying the piston-operating medium, whereby names of the various stations is thrown in and the shaft is tripped for releasing the moveout of gear, the roller ungeared from its roment. tating mechanism, having a tension applied The casing 2 for containing the operating 7 5 thereto to prevent any slack or the too rapid parts of the indicator may be of suitable size paying off of the name-bearing belt or canvas. and pattern and is subdivided into two com- Another important feature of the invention partments 3 and 4. The compartment 3 conis to positively check the movement of the tains the belt or canvas 5, upon which is name-bearing belt the instant the proper printed the names of the stations along the 8o name is exposed through the opening in the line of travel, and the rollers 6 and 7, upon case of the indicator, and at the same time which the said canvas or belt 5 is wound to provide a means for checking the movement bring the names of the stations in order opof the train of gearing, whereby movement is posite the slots 8 and 9 in the cover, so as to imparted tothe rollers for actuatingthenameexpose them to the view of the passengers. 85 bearing belt and moving it past the openings The compartment 4 receives the actuating through which the names of the stations are mechanism whereby movement is imparted disclosed. to the rollers 6 and 7 and for reversing the The invention will be more fully understood movement of the canvas or belt 5. The rollfrom the subjoined description, reference beers 6 and 7 are of ordinary construction and 90 4o ing had to the accompanying drawings, in are journaled at their ends in a side of the whichease and in the partition 10, which divides Figure l is a perspective view of a stationthe case into the compartments 3 and 4:. The indicator constructed in accordance with and journals 11 of the rollers 6 and 7 project beembodying the essence of the invention, the yond the partition 10 and receive beveled 5 5 cover to the compartment inclosing the actugear-wheels 12 and 13, which are constructed ating mechanism being removed and a porto slide upon the said journals, but turn theretion of the cover for closing the compartment with when positively actuated, so as to impart in which the name-bearing belt or canvas opa rotary movement to the said rollers for crates being broken away, a portion of the winding the belt or canvas 5 thereon. Each I00 vertical partition being broken away to disof these beveled gears 12 and 13 has a hub close the mechanism for controlling or checkportion in which is formed an annular groove 14, into which extends the free end of an arm 15, carried by a rod 16, so as to move the said beveled gear on its journals to throw the rollers in and out of gear in the manner hereinafter to be fully set forth. A vertical shaft I-I, suitably journaled near its ends in brackets 17, secured to the partition 10, has an eccentric or crank 18 at each end, with which the rod 16 makes connection. The crankarms 18, at the opposite ends of the shaft H, are disposed so as to occur at diametrically opposite points, so as to impart a reverse movement to the beveled gears 12 and 13. A tension-sprin g 19 is provided for each roller 6 and 7 and is adapted to be pressed upon by the end of the rod 16, which projects through the partition 10. This tensionspring 19 forms a brake and operates to check the free movement of the roller out of gear, thereby preventing the belt or canvas 5 from paying off or unwinding too freely from the said roller. A second vertical shaft 20, j ournaled in bearings provided at the top and bottom of the case, has beveled gear-wheels 21 and 22 at its opposite ends to mesh, respectively, with the beveled gear-wheels 12 and 13. This shaft is operated by any suitable train of gearing or other motive power, so as to impart a rotary movement to the rollers 6 and 7 to wind up and move the belt or canvas 5 in the proper direction, according to the movement of the car or train.

The belt or canvas 5 may be of any suit able construction usually provided in this class of devices and has the names of the stations printed transversely thereof at proper intervals, so as to be brought in register with the openings 8 and 9 in the cover 23. The edge portions of the belt or canvas 5 are reinforced or thickened, as shown at 24, and are provided with a series of perforations 25 occurring at regular intervals, so as to receive the pins 26 of a controlling-wheel 27. There are two of these controlling-wheels 27, one for each edge of the canvas 5, and they are mounted upon a transverse shaft 28. A resistance-roller 29 is located opposite and acts, in conjunction with each controlling-wheel 27, to insure engagement of the pins 26 with the openings 25. These resistance-rollers 29 are idlers, and between them and the controlling-wheels 27 the canvas or belt 5 passes. A disk 30 is provided on the inner end of the shaft 28 and has a notch 31 in its peripheral edge to receive the bent end of an arm 32, by means of which the movement of the said shaft 28 is stopped the instant the name of the station comes opposite the slot or opening in the cover 23.

The reference-nu1neral 33 indicates a suitable train of gearing or motive power, by means of which the parts are set in motion to operate the belt or canvas 5. As shown, this train of gearing 33 approximates the movement of a clock or similar mechanism, the initial power being derived from a coilspring 34 in the well-known manner. A shaft 35 is suitably geared with the post or arbor upon which the coil-spring 34 is mounted, so as to be rotated therefrom. A beveled gearwheel 36 on the end of the shaft 35 meshes with a corresponding gear-wheel 37 on the shaft 20 and transmits motion to the latter shaft when it is desired to operate the canvas or belt 5. A toothed wheel 38 is keyed upon the shaft 35 and is adapted to be engaged by the bent end of an arm 39, mounted upon a shaft 40. This arm 39 is weighted, as shown at 41, to cause its automatic engagement with the toothed wheel 38 when said shaft 40 is released from the influence of the disk 30.

A gong or alarm 42 is provided and sounds during the movement of the belt or canvas 5, so as to attract the attention of the passenger and inform him of the name of the next station. This alarm is suitably operated from the train of gearing in the ordinary manner 5 of alarms provided for clock and other similar movements. The end of the shaft 40 is provided with an arm or lever 43, which is actuated by any convenient means to allow the actuating mechanism to move the belt 5, so as to expose the proper name of the station through the opening in the casing.

For street-railway cars and similar vehicles and public conveyances the ordinary bellpull cord or other convenient means may be provided and attached to the arm 43 so as to turn the shaft 40 and disengage the bent end of the arm 32 from the notch in the checkwheel 30 and at the same time disengage the bent end of the arm 39 from the toothed wheel 38, so as to permit the movement, and on the release of the cord to stop and check the position of the belt, whereby the proper name of the required station is exposed through the opening in the casing;

For steam-railway cars and others propelled by steam, compressed air, and like motive power a cylinder 44 will be provided and located so that the stem 45 of its piston 46 will engage with the arm 43 and allow the actuating mechanism of the indicator to move. A pipe 47 will communicate with the lower end of the cylinder and be under the control of the engineer or conductor, so as to supply the steam, compressed air, or other fluid to the cylinder to actuate the piston when it is required to change the name of the station exposed to view. A retracting-spring 48 is located in the upper end of the cylinder and confined between the piston 46 and the head of the said cylinder, so as to act in opposition to the steam or other operating fluid, so that when the latter is shut off the said spring 48 will regain itself and return the parts to a normal position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the shaft 40 is turned so as to release the arms 32 and 39 from the wheels 31 and 38 the movement will operate, and by means of the mechanism hereinbefore specified will sound the alarm 42 and rotate the shaft 20. Inasmuch as. only one of the rollers 6 and 7 is in gear with the shaft at the same instant, it is manifest that the roller so geared is the one which will receive positive movement. The shaft lO having been set in motion will be held in such relative position that the bent end of the arms and 39 will be out of active operation by means of the bent end of the arm 32 riding upon the periphery of the disk 30. The instant the notch 31 comes opposite the bent end of the arm 32 the weight l1 will cause the bent end of the arm to enter the notch 31, and at the same time the arm 39 will engage with the wheel 38 and check the movement of the train of gearing It will be seen that the movement of the belt or canvas 5 and the train of gearing is checked at the same instant. Hence there can be no straining of the actuating mechanism. After the car or train has reached the end of its travel the roller 6 or 7, previously out of gear, will be now brought into gear, so as to reverse the movement of the belt on the return trip of the car. This is effected in a convenient manner by means of a rod elf), connected at its inner end with an arm on the shaft II and having its front end portion projected through the casing, so as to be readily accessible to reverse the motion of the belt 5. Any convenient locking mechanism may be provided to secure the rod 49 in the located position. As shown, aplate 52 is firmly attached to the cover of the case and is notched in its edge for the passage of the said rod 49, and a latch 51 is pivoted to the said cover and acts in opposition to the plate 52 to bind or grip the rod 49 and secure the same in the required location.

While the construction and arrangement of the parts herein shown and described are preferred, it will be readily understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

The shaft &0 is provided with an arm 53 to engage with a wheel 54 of the movement and hold the latter in check during the interval between the initial movement of the shaft 40 when tripped and the release of the same by cutting ofi the steam or releasing the pullrope, by means of which the said shaft -:L0 is tripped. By this construction if the shaft 40 is actuated and not instantly released, the arm 53,by engagement with the toothed wheel 54:, will prevent any motion of the movement and will hold the latter motionless until the said shaft 40 is released from the means by which it receives its initial movement. Thus should the shaft 40 be tripped and held at the limit of its trip movement the operating parts of the device will not be actuated *until the said trip mechanism is released.

On reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the cover is provided near its lower end with an opening 55, which corresponds in shape to the openings 8 and 9. The opening 9 is centrally disposed, and the name of the station arrived at is disclosed through the said opening. The names of the next stations en route are exposed through either of the openings 8 or 55. \Vhen going in one direction, one opening, as 55, is concealed by a removable shutter 56, and the names of the stations are disclosed through the opening 8. On the return trip the shutter 56 is moved and arranged so as to hide the opening 8, thereby permitting the names of the stations in advance of the one arrived at to be exposed through the opening 55.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A station-indicator comprising the following instrumentalities: a belt bearing the names of the stations, rollers for the said belt to wind upon, a tension device for checking the speed of the roller out of gear, a reversing mechanism for alternately throwing the rollers in and out of gear and adapted to control the operation of the said tension device, an actuating mechanism for controlling the movement of the said rollers, a brake mechanism for checking the movement of the belt, a check device adapted to automatically stop the movement of the actuating mechanism when the required name of the station is properly exposed, and means for operating the said brake and check mechanisms, whereby the actuating mechanism is free to operate and move the said belt, substantially as de scribed for the purpose set forth.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination with a belt bearing the names of the stations, rollers for the said belt to wind upon, and an actuating mechanism, of areversing mechanism to alternately throw the said rollers in and out of gear, and tension devices controlled by the movement of the said reversing mechanism to retard the movement of the roller thrown out of gear, substantially as set forth.

8. In a station-indicator, the combination with a belt bearing the names of the stations, rollers for the said belt to wind upon, gearwheels mounted upon the journals of the said rollers so as to rotate therewith, but free to move thereon, and a shaft adapted to be rotated by suitable mechanism and having gearwheels to mesh with the gear-Wheels on the journals of the said rollers, of a shaft adapted to be turned in its bearings and having connection with the said gear-wheels on the journals of the said rollers to impart a reverse movement to the said gear-wheels, and tension devices operated upon by the said connections whereby the roller out of gear has its movement checked, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

4. In astation-indicator, the combination of a name-bearing belt having a line of perforations, rollers for the said belt to wind upon actuating mechanism for alternately rotating the rollers in reverse directions, a controlling-pulley having a series of pins to IIO take into the line of perforations in the said name-bearingbelt, a notched disk operatively connected with the said controlling-pulley, a counterbalanced shaft for starting and stopping the aforesaid actuating mechanism, an arm attached to the said counterbalanced shaft and constructed to travel upon the peripheral edge of the aforementioned controlling-pulley during the operation of the actuating mechanism and to engage with the notch thereof to stop the movement of the namebearing belt and its actuating mechanism, and arms 39 and 53 secured to the counterbalanced shaft, the arm 39 holding the namebearing-belt actuating mechanism in check and the arm 53 disposed to engage with the last-mentioned actuating mechanism to hold it in check during the interval between the initial movement of the said counterbalanced shaft when tripped and the release thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. In a station-indicator, the combination With a belt bearing the names of the stations, and rollers for the said belt to Wind upon, of gear-Wheels mounted upon the journals of the said rollers so as to move freely thereon but interlock therewith to cause the rollers and gear-Wheels to rotate in unison, a shaft having arms connected therewith engaging with the said gear-wheels to move them on their journals in reverse directions, and a powerdriven shaft having gear-wheels to be alternately engaged by the gear-Wheels on the j ournals of the said rollers, substantially as set forth.

6. In a station-indicator, the combination with a belt bearing the names of the stations, an actuating mechanism for controlling the movements of the indicator, a mechanism for checking the movement of the said belt at the proper time, and comprising a disk having a notch in its peripheral edge, and a shaft to be tripped to start the actuating mechanism, and provided with three arms, one arm adapted to stop the movement when the required name is exposed, a second arm adapted to enter the said notch in the disk for stopping the movement of the name-bearing belt, and the third arm constructed to hold the actuating mechanism in check during the interval between the initial movement of the trip mechanism and the release thereof, substantially as described for' the purpose set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

FRANK WV. AYERS. \Vitnesses:

HARRY SMITH, SYBILLA SMITH. 

